In wake of Paris Atrocity, Dyster Begs Obama to Send Syrians Here

Heavily armed French soldiers guard the Eiffel Tower following Friday's deadly attacks in Paris. At least one of the suicide bombers entered the country as a Syrian refugee, just like Mayor Paul Dys-
ter wants to bring to Niagara Falls.

Machine gun wielding terrorists opened fire on a number of sidewalk cafes in Paris before blowing themselves up with bombs, despite France's strict gun laws. Here the dead and dying lie side by side. President Barack Obama said he still plans to bring 10,000 Syrian refugees into the country despite the atrocity, and Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster said he wants some of those to live in the city.

While Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster is begging President Barack Obama to send Syrian refugees to the city in a desperate attempt to bolster population numbers here, authorities in France say that open immigration at least in part led to the horrific attacks that left 129 dead in Paris on Friday night.

At least one of the assailants in Friday’s deadly attacks recently entered Europe as a Syrian refugee, according to the Wall Street Journal, exposing gaps in the continent’s security as it copes with the biggest refugee crisis since World War II.

European security officials have worried that Islamic State operatives would bring terror by mixing with the cohort of Iraqi and Syrian migrants who are fleeing war each week.

"It is clear now that together with the victims of Islamo-fascism in the Middle East that come as refugees, extreme elements are crossing to Europe," Greek defense minister Panos Kammenos said.

The attacks could shift its attitude on immigration and Europe's ongoing refugee crisis according to the U.S.-based think-tank Stratfor.

The attacks can be expected to bolster the popularity of right-wing politicians and "those groups that have been calling for a halt in the flow of immigrants," Stratfor said in a note issued Friday night.

“It would be “foolish to believe that there are no jihadists among the refugees that cross into Europe,” said Greek Immigration Minister Yiannis Mouzalas.

The Greek Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection has confirmed that the suicide bomber found with a Syrian passport on his person was, “registered as refugee on Leros Island in October.”

Greece's deputy minister in charge of police, Nikos Toscas, said he was 'identified [as a refugee] according to EU rules' as he passed through the country en route to Paris. In all, 129 people were killed in a series of coordinated bomb and gun attacks on Friday night. With 99 of the 352 wounded critically ill, the death toll is expected to rise.

Locally, Erie County Legislator Joseph C. Lorigo is calling on County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz to reverse his stance on accepting Syrian refugees into Erie County in light of the terrorist attacks in France.

Lorigo made the call Saturday on Twitter and Facebook, and later told The Buffalo News he’s concerned because one of the gunman was disguised as a Syrian refugee with a Syrian passport.

“I had a conversation with an immigration specialist with Homeland Security, who told me ISIS claims to have 4,000 terrorists disguised as refugees stationed already in Western countries,” he said.

“The risk to our community is far too great,” the West Seneca Conservative tweeted. “We must do everything we can to protect the citizens of Erie County.”

Poloncarz was not immediately available for comment.

Poloncarz in September said Erie County could take in “at least 200 and potentially up to 300” Syrian refugees over the next year in light of the civil war engulfing that country and the migration crisis spreading across Europe.

“What’s happening in Syria is horrible,” Poloncarz said then. “We as a community of good neighbors – and having the experience of handling immigrants and refugee populations, especially during recent years – will be opening our arms again to help Syrians in need.”

Also, Niagara Falls was lit Friday night and again Saturday in the French colors in remembrance of the victims of the Paris attacks.

It was to be bathed in blue, white and red lights for the first 15 minutes of every hour, from 5 p.m. until midnight Saturday and Sunday, the Niagara Falls Illumination Board announced.

Dyster was quick to claim credit for requesting the lighted tribute on his Facebook page.

“Thanks to Illumination Board colleagues for rapid decision last night to light the Falls blue, white and red in solidarity with our friends and allies in France,” he wrote.

Sam Hoyt, head of the state’s Empire State Development Corporation’s efforts on the Niagara Frontier, made sure the point was not lost.

“Thanks for making the request, Paul Dyster,” he wrote moments later.

The Peace Bridge is also lit up in the colors of the French flag, which are fortunately the same colors as the American and British flags.

But our symbol minded mayor had nothing to say about his sad effort to bolster the city’s sagging population numbers with Syrian refugees. Indeed, he has enrolled Niagara Falls in an organization calling itself Cities United for Immigration Action, which has written a letter to President Obama asking that Syrians be sent this way.

After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant was publicly identified by security officials as a potential target for terrorists, and the Robert Moses Parkway was shut down for a period of time to deny casual access to the facility.

An attack there could potentially turn out the lights for much of the Northeastern part of the country.

Obviously, not all of the Syrian refugees are terrorists, but few speak English, and the additional burden significant numbers of them would place on the county’s already overtaxed social service agencies is undeniable.

Dyster is desperate to get the city’s population back up to 50,000 and has endorsed a variety of schemes to try and make that number. The federal department of Housing and Urban Development uses 50,000 as the cutoff point in determining how much municipalities receive in Community Development Block Grant monies, and if Niagara Falls comes in at less than that in the 2020 census the city will lose millions.

Previously, Dyster has welcomed paroled registered sex offenders here with open arms, and even instituted a program that actually paid people to come and live in the city.

The Syrian refugee gambit is just the latest twist in what has been a sad and largely failed effort.

It has been suggested that, if Dyster wants to bring Syrian refugees here, he ought to let them stay at his house on Orchard Parkway. His boys are grown and it is a big house.

His primary cheerleader on the city Council Kristen Grandinetti, lives alone in a big house right across the street. Perhaps she could take a few as well.